Crocodile Hunter - Risk-taking Australian wildlife
expert seen on the syndicated nature series CROCODILE HUNTER (1996), THE TEN
DEADLIEST SNAKES IN THE WORLD (1998) and CROC FILES a.k.a. "The Crocodile
Hunter's Croc Files" (1999).

Born February 22nd, 1962 in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges, Queensland,
Australia, Steve Irwin spends his life rescuing and relocating endangered
animals. He loves to jump on top of the animals and wrestle them into submission
with the aide of ropes and a good grip.

Steve got his inspiration for working with animals as a child at the Queensland
Reptile and Fauna Park at Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast (once owned by his
parents Lyn Irwin, a nurse and wildlife rehabilitator and Bob Irwin, a plumber
turned herpetologist).

Steve later expanded his parent's property and renamed it The Australia Zoo
which has become a thriving international tourist attraction and "the home of
the Crocodile Hunter."

A herpetologist by trade, Steve likes to wear khaki shorts and boots. When he
comes upon snakes or crocodiles, Steve stands frozen into his famous "action
crouch" and shouts the catchphrase "Crikey!"

The success of Steve and his wife, Terri (Steve's co-host on the "Crocodile
Hunter" TV show) spawned a line of action figures, a Steve Irwin doll that
cries, "Danger! Danger! Danger!", and a line of surf-wear called 'Steve Lives
Surfwear' ("Lives" because Steve takes so many chances with wild animals, many
people believe he had been killed by now, but he's still alive and kicking).

In 2002. Steve and his wife, Terri starred in the theatrical release The
Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course. Steve Irwin has also appeared in Dr.
Dolittle 2 (2001) and its sequel, as well as in wildlife documentaries for
cable's Animal Planet, in a Federal Express commercial and as a parody of
himself named Irwin on the cartoon series SOUTH PARK (episode No. 31
"Prehistoric Ice Man") who says things like, "I'm going to sneak up on that croc
and jam my thumb in its butthole!"

Steve's wife, Terri (née Baines) Irwin first met Steve while on a trip to
Australia in 1991 as Steve was doing a demonstration at Australia Zoo. It was
love at first sight. Steve and Terri got engaged four months later and married
on the 4th June 1992.

Their daughter Bindi Sue Irwin was born July 24, 1998. She was named after a
crocodile named Bindi and Steve's favorite croc hunting dog, Sui.

Terri, a.k.a. the Crocodile Huntress, was born in Eugene, Oregon. In 1986 she
started a rehab facility called Cougar Country to re-educate and release
predatory mammals such as fox, possum, raccoon, bears, bob-cats, and cougars
back into the wild.

When not hunting crocodiles and other critters, Steve and Terri run the
Australia Zoo and continue to rescue many species of animals, including;
amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. Reportedly, everything, that Steve
Irwin earns is reinvested into conservation causes.

TRIVIA NOTE: In January, 2004 Steve Irwin carried
his month-old baby up to a 13-foot crocodile while feeding it chucks of meat.
Irwin claimed to be in "complete control" of the situation, but millions around
the globe who saw video footage of the incident thought otherwise.

Steve Irwin died suddenly at the age of 44 on September 4, 2006 after being
pierced in the heart by a stingray's barb while filming a segment on the Great
Barrier Reef for his daughter's upcoming children's documentary "Bindi, the
Jungle Girl." Irwin was snorkeling over the stingray when it attacked. Steve
Irwin is survived by his wife, Terri and children, eight-year-old daughter,
Bindi and two-year-old son, Bob. See alsoDOGS: Terriers - Sui